GE Sensing

Panametrics Ultrasonic Flow Transducers for Liquids

Installation Guide

GE Sensing

Panametrics Ultrasonic Flow Transducers for Liquids

Installation Guide
916-055B July 2007

GE Panametrics has joined other GE high-technology sensing businesses under a new nameGE Sensing.

July 2007

Warranty

Each instrument manufactured by GE Sensing is warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship. Liability under this warranty is limited to restoring the instrument to normal operation or replacing the instrument, at the sole discretion of GE Sensing. Fuses and batteries are specifically excluded from any liability. This warranty is effective from the date of delivery to the original purchaser. If GE Sensing determines that the equipment was defective, the warranty period is:

one year for general electronic failures of the instrument one year for mechanical failures of the sensor

If GE Sensing determines that the equipment was damaged by misuse, improper installation, the use of unauthorized replacement parts, or operating conditions outside the guidelines specified by GE Sensing, the repairs are not covered under this warranty.

The warranties set forth herein are exclusive and are in lieu of all other warranties whether statutory, express or implied (including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, and warranties arising from course of dealing or usage or trade).

Return Policy

If a GE Sensing instrument malfunctions within the warranty period, the following procedure must be completed: 1. Notify GE Sensing, giving full details of the problem, and provide the model number and serial number of the instrument. If the nature of the problem indicates the need for factory service, GE Sensing will issue a RETURN AUTHORIZATION number (RA), and shipping instructions for the return of the instrument to a service center will be provided. 2. If GE Sensing instructs you to send your instrument to a service center, it must be shipped prepaid to the authorized repair station indicated in the shipping instructions. 3. Upon receipt, GE Sensing will evaluate the instrument to determine the cause of the malfunction. Then, one of the following courses of action will then be taken:

If the damage is covered under the terms of the warranty, the instrument will be repaired at no cost to the owner and returned. If GE Sensing determines that the damage is not covered under the terms of the warranty, or if the warranty has expired, an estimate for the cost of the repairs at standard rates will be provided. Upon receipt of the owners approval to proceed, the instrument will be repaired and returned.

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: General Information Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1 Transducer Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 Wetted Transducers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 Clamp-On Transducers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 Transducer Position and Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4 Chapter 2: Wetted Transducers Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 Types of Flowcells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 Tilted Diameter Flowcells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 Axial-Path Offset Flowcells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4 Building a Wetted Flowcell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5 Installing a Spoolpiece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5 Cold Tapping into an Existing Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6 Wetted Transducer Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11 Installing Transducers Directly into the Flowcell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13 Installing Transducers with PanAdapta Plugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14 Installing Threaded Type PanAdapta Plugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15 Installing Welded Type PanAdapta Plugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16 Installing Flanged Type PanAdapta Plugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17 Installing the Wetted Transducers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18 Removing Transducers from PanAdapta Plugs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18

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Table of Contents (cont.)

Installing the BWT System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19 Assembling Bundle PanAdapta Plugs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20 Inserting the Bundle PanAdapta Plug into the Nozzle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22 Tightening the Bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-25 Installing the BWT Transducer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-27 Chapter 3: Clamp-On Transducers Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1 Transit-Time Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1 TransFlection Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1 Couplants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2 Transit-Time Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3 Determining the Number of Traverses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3 Using the Universal Clamping Fixture -UCF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5 Using the General Clamping Fixture - GCF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-20 Using the Magnetic Clamping Fixture - MCF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33 Using the Small Pipe Clamping Fixture - SPCF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-44 Using the Yoke and Strap Clamping Fixture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-50 TransFlection Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-52 Using the TransFlection Mode Clamping Fixture - TMCF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-52 Tips for Transflection Mode Installations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-62

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Chapter 1

General Information
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1 Transducer Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 Transducer Position and Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

July 2007

Introduction

This guide is for GE Panametrics flowmeters that measure liquid flow using ultrasonic transit-time and TransFlection methods. It is important to note that this installation guide provides information for the most common installations only. However, it can be used for equipment not specifically mentioned here. GE Panametrics can accommodate many special installations by using different transducers and configurations. For special installations, GE Panametrics will supply drawings with the nominal dimensions based on the specific application. Before you begin installation, you should familiarize yourself with the type of transducer you are using and the general guidelines for transducer position and location as described in this chapter. If you have any questions or problems, contact GE Sensing for assistance (see the back cover of this manual). Upon request, GE Sensing can set up in-plant or on-site, hands-on training seminars. For more information, contact your local sales representative or one of the main GE Sensing manufacturing facilities (see the back cover of this manual).

General Information

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Transducer Types

Flow Transducers fall into one of two major classes: wetted or nonwetted. Wetted transducers are inserted into the pipe so that they come in direct contact with the fluid being measured. Non-wetted transducers, commonly referred to as clamp-on transducers, are clamped onto the outside of the pipe and send their ultrasonic pulses through the pipe wall. GE Panametrics standard wetted transducers are typically flat-faced and send their ultrasonic longitudinal wave signals into the fluid with no refraction. GE Panametrics standard clamp-on transducers, on the other hand, use refraction to transmit sound through the pipe wall and into the liquid. Although 3/8 (9.5 mm), 1/2 (12.7 mm), 3/4 (19.0 mm), and 1 (25.4 mm) transducer diameters are most common, a variety of other sizes is available, depending on the application. GE Panametrics has also developed hybrid transducers that consist of two parts: a fixed member and a removable, wetted transducer. The fixed member is a special wetted pipe plug called a PanAdapta plug. This plug (fixed member) is mounted in the flowcell. The wetted transducer can be temporarily and repeatedly coupled to the outside face of the PanAdapta plug. In using the PanAdapta plug there is no need to interrupt the process when servicing the hybrid transducer. For high-temperature applications, the Bundle Waveguide Technology (BWT) system is available and consists of a PanAdapta plug and a transducer. The PanAdapta plug uses waveguide bundles to efficiently concentrate a greater amount of the transducer signal into the process. At the same time, it acts as a heat buffer that protects the transducer from high temperatures to ensure long life.

Wetted Transducers

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General Information

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Clamp-On Transducers

The most common types of GE Panametrics clamp-on transducers are the weatherproof shear wave and the weatherproof/hazardous area shear wave transducers. Each type of transducer has a flat face and is used for 2 (50 mm) diameter pipes and larger. Pipes can be made of carbon steel, stainless steel, copper, brass, cast or ductile iron, glass, plastic (PVC or CPVC), or fiberglass. There are no thickness constraints on the pipe wall, as long as the wall can conduct sound adequately. Transducers for pipes smaller than 2 (50 mm) are also available. Transducers for small pipes are already installed into the clamping fixture prior to shipment. See Using a Small Pipe Clamping Fixture SPCF in chapter 3. Figure 1-1 below shows the most common types of transducers.

Figure 1-1: Four Types of Clamp-On Transducers

General Information

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Transducer Position and Location

Whichever transducer type is selected for your installation, flowmeter accuracy depends on proper transducer location, spacing, alignment, and electronics programming. However, even though every transducer installation has specific location considerations, the following two location guidelines apply to all transducers, regardless of type: Caution! Flowmeter accuracy and performance depends on the location, spacing, and alignment of the transducers. The specific spacing of your transducers are unique to your installation. 1. To help assure a uniform flow profile, locate the flowcell so that there are at least 10 pipe diameters of straight, undisturbed flow upstream and 5 pipe diameters of straight, undisturbed flow downstream from the point of measurement. Measure from the center of the transducer at the pipe wall ID. Undisturbed flow means avoiding sources of turbulence such as valves, flanges, elbows; avoiding swirl; and avoiding cavitation. 2. It is important to locate the transducers on a horizontal plane. This specifically applies to mounting transducers on a horizontal pipe. One transducer cannot be on top of the pipe and one on the bottom, because the top of the pipe tends to accumulate gas and the bottom tends to accumulate sediment. These can attenuate or block the ultrasonic signal. There is no similar restriction with vertical pipes. To ensure that the pipe remains full of liquid, however, you should avoid vertical downward flow. When using a wetted installation, extended-well type transducers are preferred to keep the transducer face free from gas or sediment that may tend to get trapped in the transducer port.

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General Information

Chapter 2

Wetted Transducers
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 Types of Flowcells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 Building a Wetted Flowcell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5 Wetted Transducer Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11 Installing Transducers Directly into the Flowcell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13 Installing Transducers with PanAdapta Plugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14 Removing Transducers from PanAdapta Plugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18 Installing the BWT System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19

July 2007

Introduction

Installing wetted transducers consists of creating a flowcell and then mounting the transducers into that flowcell. There are various types of flowcells and methods for creating them. In addition, there are several methods for mounting transducers, including the Panametrics BWT system. This chapter discusses the most common installations. However, it can also be used for equipment not specifically mentioned here.

Types of Flowcells

There are two basic types of flowcell installations for wetted transducers:

Tilted Diameter - for use with pipe sizes above 2 (50 mm) Axial Offset - for use with pipe sizes of 2 (50 mm) and below.

In both types of installations, the transducers are mounted into a section of pipe called a flowcell. The flowcell can be created either by mounting the transducers on the existing pipeline or on a spoolpiece. A spoolpiece is a precision-manufactured section of matching pipe that contains the ports where the transducers will be mounted. This setup allows more accurate transducer alignment before mounting the spoolpiece into the pipeline. If requested, the spoolpiece can be calibrated.

Tilted Diameter Flowcells

A tilted diameter flowcell is so named because the transducers send their signals at a typical 45 angle across the diameter (or other chord) of the pipe. This type of flowcell can be configured as a singletraverse or multiple-traverse installation. Note: The mounting angle for the transducer is typically 45, but other angles (20, 30, or 60) can be used as required. Tilted Diameter can also refer to paths that are offset from the diameter such as the Mid-Radius path.

Wetted Transducers

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Tilted Diameter Flowcells (cont.)

A single-traverse configuration consists of two transducers mounted on opposite sides of the pipe so that the signal they transmit passes through the fluid just once, at a typical 45 angle (see Figure 2-1 below).

Top View

P = Distance that the signal travels through the liquid from one transducer to the other.

Downstream

O.D. I.D.

Upstream
L = Projected distance of acoustical path in liquid.

Figure 1: Single-Traverse Flowcell with L = Pipe I.D.

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Tilted Diameter Flowcells (cont.)

A multiple-traverse configuration consists of two transducers mounted on the pipe so that the signal traverses the fluid two or more times before reaching the other transducer. See Figures 2-2 to 2-4, below for examples of commonly used installations.
P = Distance that the signal travels through the liquid from one transducer to the other.

P
I.D. O.D.

L = Projected distance of acoustical path in liquid.

Figure 2: Double-Traverse Flowcell

P = Distance that the signal travels through the liquid from one transducer to the other.

O.D. I.D.

L Figure 3: Multiple-Traverse Flowcell (Four Traverses)

S=

OD2-ID2
4

Figure 4: Mid-Radius, Single-Traverse, 2-Path Flowcell

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Axial-Path Offset Flowcells In axial-path offset flowcells, the walls of the pipe reflect the
ultrasonic signal. This allows the signal to remain in the fluid longer, increasing the effective length L and path P of the signal, thus increasing accuracy. The number of times the signal can traverse the fluid depends on such factors as transducer frequency, pipe size, pipe wall condition, and the fluid being measured. Axial-path offset flowcells can be made up as a spoolpiece, then mounted into the process pipeline, or they can be created by cold tapping the transducer ports directly into the existing pipeline. Figure 2-5 below shows an axial-path offset flowcell that is used for 1/8 to 2 (3 mm to 50 mm) pipe sizes. This type of flowcell maintains a high accuracy of measurement on small diameter pipes because it provides a much longer path length and allows for 100% area averaging of the flow profile. An axial-path offset flowcell can be installed into the pipeline using flanges, welding, NPT threading, or quick-release methods. When installed, the flowcell should be positioned to avoid gas entrainment or sediment deposition in front of the transducers.

CL FLOW INLET

CL FLOW OUTLET

TRANSDUCER

L P Figure 5: Axial-Path Offset Flowcell

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Wetted Transducers

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Building a Wetted Flowcell

This section describes how to build a flowcell using one of the following methods:

installing a spoolpiece cold tapping transducer ports into an existing pipeline

Note: Hot tapping of pressurized pipe is also possible. Contact GE Sensing for the required equipment and instructions.

Installing a Spoolpiece

Spoolpieces can be inserted into the existing pipeline either with flanges or by welding. To position the spoolpiece into the pipeline, see Figure 2-6 below and complete the following steps: 1. Find the arrow mark and the word TOP marked on the tag plate on the spoolpiece. If the spoolpiece is flanged, two bolt holes should straddle the centerline. 2. Place the spoolpiece in the pipeline so that the arrow mark is in the direction of flow and the top is appropriately located. Be sure the transducer ports are located in a horizontal plane. 3. Bolt or weld the spoolpiece into place, as appropriate. 4. Go to the section that describes mounting the wetted transducers. In general (including cases where the spoolpiece axis is not horizontal), be sure that the installation does not allow gas or sediment to deposit in the transducer ports. Otherwise the sound waves will be attenuated or blocked entirely. Note: Use extended-well transducers or extended-well PanAdapta plugs for tilted diameter flowcells.

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TOP VIEW

BOLT HOLES STRADDLE CENTERLINE SYMMETRICALLY

END VIEW

TOP

Data Tag

L Figure 6: Top View of a Spoolpiece with Flanges

Cold Tapping into an Existing Pipeline

To cold tap the transducer ports into a pipe, the pipe must be empty and safe. Please note that reference drawings and kits for cold tapping are available from GE Sensing. Standard kits provide alignment equipment for single-traverse installations only. Figure 2-7 below shows a typical cold tapping kit, which includes:

2 contoured couplings 2 rod support bushings 1 alignment rod 1 Allen wrench 1 detail drawing (not shown)

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Alignment Rod

Contoured Couplings

Rod Support Bushings

Allen Wrench
Figure 7: Cold Tapping Kit

Wetted Transducers

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Cold Tapping into an Existing Pipeline (cont.)

Note: Two flanged nozzles are available for cold tapping ports for flanged transducers or PanAdapta plugs. The kit for the nozzles includes two tapped flanges to accept the bushings (see Figure 2-8 below).

Rod Support Bushing Flanged Nozzle Alignment Rod Tapped Flange

S = Pipe OD

Figure 8: Flanged Nozzles for Cold-Tapping

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Wetted Transducers